French a Swansea pioneer

Two hundred years ago Swansea gave the world a transport revolution - it was the first place to offer a passenger railway service.

Horse-drawn it may have been, but it represented the spirit of the age in a town renowned then for its forward thinking, drive and dynamism. .

The name Benjamin French may not mean much to the people of Swansea today but 200 years ago he was the pioneer behind the world's first passenger railway service - introduced on March 25 1807.

In the 1950s the South Wales Transport Company who owned the line made plans to close the railway and on the 4th January 1960 the Mumbles train made its final journey.

A wake and tickets edged in black!

The late Veronica Barrington arranged a last trip for the 4 January 1960, hiring a double car at five pounds, five shillings.

The tram was to be driven by Frank Dunkin, who was her favourite driver and very popular with the public.

The black edged tickets sold at three shillings and sixpence, to those who were lucky enough to obtain them.

The trip took the form of a wake, complete with a coffin made of cardboard. The travellers dressed in mourning clothes and widows weeds.

That night Swansea saw one of the heaviest rainstorms many could remember.

The Last Post sounded the 11.30 pm departure from Southend. As television cameras rolled, the train started on its funeral run.

Hundreds had turned out to say a fond farewell. As the tram journeyed along Mumbles Road, a cacophony of car horns sounded. Coins were placed onto the track so the wheels of the tram would flatten them and provide a souvenir.

"It was a journey I will never forget," said Veronica Barrington

South Wales Transport produced a souvenir booklet on the 155 years of the Mumbles Railway. The editor Mr. Vic Davies had himself worked for the company since 1925.

That was nearly fifty years ago. At the time, I was only nine. But there were many thousands of others who must have memories of the line and that last day.

The Evening Post that night reported on the last run saying it was something that he could tell his grandchildren that he saw the last Mumbles Train.

Five Swansea School girls on that day dressed in mourning for the passing of The Mumbles Train.

The last train

The next day 5 January 1960, the last service train was due to run at 9.55am but in fact this was a relief train - the last train running ten minutes later than announced at 10.05 on board was a group of elderly people from Mumbles organized by Harry Libby many of whom could remember the horse drawn cars.

The oldest was at 90 was John Harris a former Deputy Mayor of Swansea another Charles Griffin whose father was one of the drivers of the horse tram.

The driver of this last service was Mr. Len Lee the conductors were Mr. George White and Mr. Bill Allsop. Also aboard were Inspector C. J. Seacombe and W. Martin.

The last journey was made by the world's first passenger railway leaving Rutland Street at 11.42 am, on board were the invited dignitaries.

Including the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress Councillor and Mrs. A.J.K. Hare, The Mayor and Mayoress Councillor and Mrs. William George were still recovering from a car accident.

Mr. W.T. James Chairman of South Wales Transport the owners of the line.

The driver was again, Frank Dunkin. The line's oldest driver at 71 he had been driving for nearly 50 years. He was assisted by the two senior conductors Harry Bailey aged 70 and Owen Davies aged 66.

At the end of the run these three men also retired closing a page on Swansea history that had aroused interest around the world.

Police Escort

Evening Post reporter Frank Gold was a passenger on that last train; The Double Coach decorated with fairy lights and with shields at either end and on the sides portraying a horse drawn car and the dates 1804-1960.

There were coaches numbers six and seven loaded with prominent townspeople. As it pulled out crowds blocked the roadway and there was the mournful wail of a trumpet. Then everybody cheered and waved.

The train slipped past the gas works and on to Argyle Street stop.

It was given a police escort and other cars joined in keeping pace with the train. Among them were cyclists trying hard to keep up.

Everyone on the train was issued with a souvenir ticket. Schoolchildren left their class rooms to line the road beyond Argyle Street.

And the eyes of the film cameras all the time made a permanent record of the historic ride.

More crowds waited at St Helens and beyond that at the Recreation Ground boys stopped playing football to watch the train.

It continued its non stop journey through Ashleigh Road, Blackpill, West Cross and Oystermouth, along the picturesque Swansea Bay coastline.

Hundreds of people were milling around Oystermouth Station and many more were at Southend, the terminus now that part of the track to the Pier has been replaced by a road.

At Southend the V.I.Ps. got out of the train for photographs. It was there too that the children put pennies on the rail for them to be flattened a souvenir of the occasion.

It was the same story on the return trip. Thousands of people kept their positions to get a last sight of the train.

At Oystermouth people affectionately touched the coaches as they passed slowly through.

As the train neared St. Helens ground a diesel locomotive used for shunting on the line met it and preceded it over the last mile to the depot.

At Rutland Street the roads were still choked and road traffic had to be diverted.

The last ride ended at 12 30pm ending a 156 years of service.

The last train was shunted in to the depot within minutes the electric power that supplied the trains was switched off and Thomas W. Ward Ltd., of Sheffield dealers in scrap metal who have been sold the railway were lifting the track and dismantling the trams."Everything will go except for relics being claimed for their historic value".

Thousands of tons of scrap was take away some like wheels and sections of track will be used elsewhere but most went into the furnace for melting down by the end of June the team of ten men have done their job the Mumbles train is no more.

Royston Kneath

The 200 passengers were taken from Rutland Street Depot in motor coaches to a luncheon in the Guildhall.